Rolling body massager



@Uhr 27, 1965 E. F. JoHNsToN ROLLING 'BODY MASSAGER Filed June 15, 1962 rnv."

July 27, 1965 E F. JQHNSfON' 3,196,868

` ROLLING BODY MASSAGER Filed June 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR iai/W United States Patent O 3,196,868 RULLING BODY MASSAGER Ervin F. lohnston, 3833 S. N St., Uxnard, Calif. Filed June 15, 1962, Ser. No. 202,813 18 Claims. (Cl. 12S-57) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 74,288, filed Dec. 7, 1960 for Body Massager and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a body massager and more particularly to a massager which will massage both across and progressively along a persons body.

There has long been a need for a simple massager that will deliver a recurrent traveling or a back and forth massage to a persons body which is gentle in its action. Prior art devices delivering a recurrent traveling or a back and forth massage action are complicated because of the many varied mechanisms required to obtain this motion. One such device is shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,884,923 wherein a single roller is reciprocated back and forth along a persons body. Another U.S. Patent No. 2,127,132 utilizes a spiral rib arranged on a rotatable drum to massage along a persons body as the drum is rotated. While the latter patent does not rely upon reciprocation of parts the problem has been the shearing eifect of the rib on a persons body resulting in a har-sh sensation. These problems have been overcome by the present invention by providing a plurality of rollers which arranged in at least one path which dimensionally progresses both about and along an axis so that upon rotation of these rollers about the axis they will roll about roller axes across the persons body to gently massage both thereacross and progressively therealong.

One of the advantages of the present invention is the obtaining; by mere rotation principles a massage action that travels in opposite directions along a persons body. This is accamplished by arranging the rollers in paths which progress in opposite directions about the axis. Further, the present invention provides for a massage action that alternately travels back and forth along a persons body by starting the paths at a common iirst point and ending them at a common second point. Also, the invention provides for a substantially constant massage pressure for a particular portion of the persons body by arranging the rollers at various distances from the axis so that they will each roll across the body portion with substantially the same rolling pressure. In this way long lengths of the body can be massaged even though the body has a curvature over this length. Further, the present invention provides for massaging of body portions having various shapes by springing the rollers so that they are biased toward the body portion when they roll thereacross.

An object of the present invention is to provide a massager which is capable of delivering a gentle traveling massage action to a persons body.

Another object is to provide a massager which is capable of gently massaging both across a persons body and progressively therealong.

A further object is to provide a massager which is capable of massaging a persons body in opposite directions when the massager is unidirectionally rotated about an axls.

Still another object is to provide a massager which is capable of massaging a persons body alternately in opposite directions when the massager is unidirectionally rotated about an axis.

A still further object is to provide -a massager which is capable of delivering a traveling and substantially continuous gentle massage action on a persons body as the massager *is rotated.

Still another object is to provide a massager which will ice deliver a gentle traveling massage action of a substantially constant pressure on a persons body.

Still a further object is to provide a massager which does not have to rely upon reciprocatory motion to deliver a traveling massage action to a persons body.

Still another object is to provide a massager which upon operation will effect a minimum of wear on material located between the massager and a persons body that is being massaged.

Still a further object is to provide a massager which will deliver a substantially constant massage pressure that will tratl along substantially the full length of a persons Still another object is to provide a massager which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and elcient in operation and one which can be manufactured and placed on the market at a minimum cost.

Still a further object is to provide a massager which is easy to construct.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be readily apparent as the disclosure is made in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a recliner chair having a massager.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair with part of the front covering cut away to show the massager.

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the massager in a partially shown framework of the chair with the front covering removed.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3 with the front covering partly in place.

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line V-V of FIG. 3 with the front covering partly in place.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the front covering.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of one of the rollers used for the massager shown in FIGS. 2-5.

FIG. 8 is a view taken along line VIII-VIH of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the roller supported by a modiiied mounting, the mounting being shown partly in cross section.

FIG. l0 is a back view of the chair with the back covering laid away.

FIG. 1l is an enlarged view, partly in cross section and partly cut away, of the massager ,and supporting structure.

FIG. 12 isa side View of a preferred massager removed from the chair frame.

FIG. 13 is a view taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG, l2.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view taken along line XIV-Aq XIV of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 12.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view taken along line XVI-XVI of FIG. 12.

Referring now to the drawing-s wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views there is shown ,in FIGS. 12-14 a preferred massager removed from the chair and in FIGS. 2-4 another massager 20 mounted in the chair, the latter massager being described irst in this specification.

The massager 20 is rotatably mounted in the back portion 22 of a conventional recliner type chair and has a plurality of rollers 24 positioned on a rotatable hollow drum 26 along two paths. The paths dimensionally extend along and in opposite directions about the longitudinal axis 27 (common axis) of the drum and they have a common beginning point at the center of roller 28, a common ending point at the center of roller 30 and aisees an intersection point at the center of roller 32. Each of the rollers has a rolling surface 34 which is rotatable about long rivets 36, each rivet extending through the longitudinal axis of the roller and mounting it in a frame 38. Accordingly, the center of each roller will be midway along that portion of the rivet which extends through the roller.

A stem 39, spot welded at one of its ends to the frame 38 is fixed by spot welding at its other end to the drum 26 (as seen in FIG. 7) with its longitudinal axis aligned with a respective radial from the longitudinal axis 27 of the drum so that the roller axis of each roller is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum 26. In attaching the spindles 39 to the drum 26 holes of slightly larger diameter than the spindles can be drilled along the paths at the proper locations in the drum and each spindle can be inserted partially in a respective hole after which the spindles are secured to the drum by spot welding. The rollers in each path are mounted on the drum with adjacent rollers having their rolling surfaces mutually tangent to a common plane a-a and with the rollers equiangular from each other about the drum, equidistant from each other along the drum and equidistant from the longitudinal axis 27 of the drum. If the drum 26 was slit longitudinally through the centers of rollers 28 and 36 and was flattened out the places of xation of the stems to the drum would lie along two paths forming 'an X, the tcp ends of the X being opposite the common beginning point of the roller paths at the center of roller 28, the bottom ends of the X being opposite the ending point of the roller paths at the center of roller 30 and the intersection within the X being opposite the intersection point of the roller paths at the center of roller 32.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 1l the massager 20 is rotatably mounted in a framework 42 by shafts 44 which are journalled in bearings 46, the bearings being pressfitted within Wooden crossmembers 48. The shafts 44 are axially aligned with the longitudinal axis 27 of the drum and are attached to the drum within collars Si), the collars being fixedly mounted on end plates 52 of the drum. Threaded in the collars 50 are setscrews 54 which project into flats 56 on the shafts 44 so as to prevent relative rotation between the shafts 44 and the collars 50. The upper shaft 44 extends beyond the upper crossmember 4S into a removable cap 57, the cap being mounted on the crossmember by bolts and nuts 58. The lower shaft 44 extends into a bearing support 59, the latter being mounted on a base member 60 by bolts and nuts 62. The fixing of the end plates 52 to the drum 26 and the fixing of the collars 50 to the end .plates are accomplished by welding.

Fixedly mounted on the lower shaft 44 is a receiving pulley 64 which is drivingly connected by a belt 66 to a pulley 68 of a motor 70. The pulleys 64 and 68 can be fixed to the shaft 44 and the motor output shaft respectively by any suitable means such as setscrews or welding. The motor 70 is secured to the base member 60 by brackets 72. A suitable speed for the massager is about 7 r.p.m. Accordingly, a 35 r.p.m. motor could be used with a pulley ratio (diameter of pulley 68 to pulley 64) of 1:5. Of course, sprockets could be substituted for the pulleys 64 and 68 and -a chain could be substituted for the belt 66.

The back portion 22 of the chair has a front covering 74 which is adjacent the massager 20 so as to be progressively humped up by the rollers 24 as the drum is rotated. Three humps in the covering 74 can be seen in FIG. 5, the left hump being caused by a roller 75, the middle hump being caused by the roller 32 and the right hump being caused by a roller 77. Directly behind the left hump is another hump (not shown) caused by a roller 78 and directly behind the right hump is another hump (shown in FIG. 4) caused by a roller 79. Upon rotating the drum 26 through an angle a in a counterclockwise direcrtion, which angle is shown in FIG. 5, the rollers 77 and 79 will roll up causing two middle humps each of which has progressed the humping action in opposite directions from the original middle hump position along the longitudinal axis 27 of the drum. At the same time there will be a left hump caused by the roller 32 and two right humps caused by a roller 80 and a roller 81. It is readily apparent then, that the humping action progresses along the longitudinal axis 27 as the drum is rotated so that a person leaning against the covering 74 will sense a traveling massage action along his body. Also, since each roller progresses from a right hump position through the middle hump position to the left hump position the person will sense a crosswise massage action in addition to the traveling massage action.

The framework 42 has longitudinal members 82 spaced apart (approximately l0 inches) so as to 4allow a persons back to slightly recess therein. The longitudinal members 62 and that portion of the crossmembers 43 between the longitudinal members have soft rubber pads 84 adjacent to and directly under the covering 74 so as to gently support the persons back. Fixedly attached to the longitudinal members 82 and box members 86 are no-sag springs S7 which support the covering 74 on each side of the longitudinal members 32. Stuffing pads 8S are disposed between the springs 87 and the covering 74.

The longitudinal members 82 are slidably mitered at joints 89 into the crossmembers 4S for movement forwards or backwards with respect to the massager 20. At joints S9 are brackets 90 having sides fixed to the crossmembers by screws and other sides adjustably attached to the longitudinal members by bolts, nuts and washers 92 which are slidable along slots 94. The rubber pads S4 on the longitudinal members abut the rubber pads 84 on the crossmembers and are jointed opposite the joints 69 so that the longitudinal members can be moved forwards or backwards with respect to 4the massager 20. As shown in FIG. 5, this movement will change the distance d between the top of the middle hump and the portion of the covering 74 which is not humped, thus allowing the person to select the desired degree of massage action. Accordingly, if the massage action were desired substantially only from individual rollers rolling into and out of the middle hump position, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance would be set at e as dimensioned in FIG. 5.

The covering 74 has a cushioning layer 96 between a thin backing 98 and a fronting 100, the backing 98 being mounted adjacent the massager Ztl so as to receive the rolling action of the rollers 24. It has been found that the use of hard dowel wood material for the rollers and a l" slab of polyurethane foam of iirm density as the layer 96 produces a good massage effect when the massager is operated. Suitable materials for the fronting 100 have been found to be Vinelle available from General Tire and Rubber Co. or Plyhide (vinyl upholstery) available from Plymouth Rubber Co. which materials are also suitable for the backing 98 for the rollers to roll on. Between the layer 96 and the fronting 100 are heat ing elements X02 for giving an additional therapeutic effect to the persons body.

An alternate roller mounting is shown in FIG. 9 wherein a stem 104 having a plunger 166 is slidably mounted within a cylinder 168, there being a compression spring within the cylinder between the plunger 106 and the frame 38 so as to bias the roller outwardly from the drum. A shoulder lll within the cylinder limits outward movement of the roller surface 34 by engaging the plunger 106. The stern 194 is fixed to the drum by spot welding with its longitudinal axis aligned with a radial from the longitudinal axis 27 of the drum. This mounting will cause the rollers 24 to deliver a substantially constant massage pressure to the persons body and may be used with or without the covering 74 On the right arm of the chair, as shown in FIG. l, are a massager switch 112 and a heater switch 113. The

massager switch 112 controls electric power to the motor 70 and the heater switch 113 controls electric power to the heating elements 102.

A back cover 120 is removably secured to the back portion 22 of the chair by snaps 122 so that if access is desired to the interior of the back portion the back cover is merely unsnapped and laid back as shown in FIG. 10.

A preferred massager is shown in FIGS. 12-14 wherein two paths 124 and 126 of rollers are employed, each path having a common beginning at the center of a top roller 128 and a common ending at the center of a bottom roller 130 and each path progressing in opposite directions substantially 180 about a cylindrical rod 132 as seen from either end of the rod. The rollers are mounted for rolling action by various shaped brackets 134 and long rivets 136, each roller being rollable about a respective rivet. Each rivet extends through the longitudinal axis of a respective roller so that the center of the roller can be considered as midway along that portion of the rivet extending therethrough. The centers of the rollers are positioned along the paths by welding the brackets to the rod 132 at 13'7 with the longitudinal axis of each roller substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (common axis) of the rod 132. Since a persons back is curved when sitting in the chair the outermost extremities of the rolling surfaces of the rollers with respect to the rod 132 are positioned at varying distances from the rod so that upon operating the massager each roller will deliver a substantially constant massage pressure to the back as it rolls thereacross. Otherwise, upon rotating the rollers about the longitudinal axis of the rod 132 the envelope deined by the rollers in a plane aligned with and including the longitudinal axis of the rod 132 is to conform to the curve of that body portion which is to be massaged. Because the top and the bottom of the back are normally curved away from the chair the distances between the outermost extremities of the rolling surfaces and the longitudinal axis of the rod progressively become greater toward each end thereof. These varying distances can be obtained by positioning the axes of equal sized rollers at various distances from the rod as shown in FIGS. 12-14 or by employing rollers of different diameters with their axes at the same distance or varying dis tances from the rod. It is to be noted that simplicity in construction is attained by using pairs of brackets with each pair of brackets positioning a pair of rollers. As shown in FIGS. 14-16 the bracket pairs position the rollers at various angles from one another so as to progressively position the rollers about the rod 132. The rod has -collars 138 spot welded thereto and the collars have setscrews so that the massager can be mounted in the chair in the same manner as the other massager 20.

The massager as shown in FIGS. 12-14 is designed to massage along substantially the full length of the back of an ordinary sized person (5 feet 9 inches tall) when the massager is mounted in a chair which has a substantially flat back portion with no headrest. The dimensional characteristics of the massager shown in FIGS. 12- 14 are as follows:

(a) each roller is 11/2 long and 1%" in diameter and has a Ms" diameter rivet therethrough,

(b) each bracket is made of 16 gauge sheet metal and the rod 132 is s" in diameter,

(c) the total length from the top of the top bracket (above the roller 128) to the bottom of the bottom bracket (below the roller 130) is 19% in length,

(d) the distance between each pair of brackets is SAA,

(e) the angle between adjacent rollers along each path is 20 with the exception of each of the two rollers adjacent to roller 130, each of these rollers being from the roller 130 and 15 from the rollers next in the paths up from said two rollers (this Variation being done merely to afford clearance for said two rollers from one another),

(f) the centers of the following rollers are at the following distances from the longitudinal axis (common axis) of the rod 132:

(g) the brackets 134 are all triangular in shape with the exception of the top pair and the bottom pair of brackets for the rollers 128 and 130 respectively. The angle defined by lines on each triangular bracket which are drawn perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod 132 through the longitudinal axis of each rivet areas follows:

of bracketsnext pair of bracketsnext pair of bracketstwo rollers on the next pair of bracketsnext pair of bracketsnext pair of bracketstwo rollers on the next pair of brackets- (l) the pair of brackets next to the top pair of brackets for the roller 12S-40 (2) the next pair of brackets-80 (shown in FIG.

(3) the next pair of brackets-120 (4) the next pair of brackets160 (shown in FIG.

(5) the next pair of brackets-160 (same shape as bracket shown in FIG. 15)

(6) the next pair of brackets- 120 (7) the next pair of brackets- 80 (8) the next pair of brackets-5 0 It is to be noted that the pairs of brackets listed under (3) and (6), and (4) and (5) are identical in shape but are positioned on the rod 132 180 from one another. The pairs of brackets listed under (2) and (7) are similar in shape, the difference being in length and these pairs are likewise positioned on the rod 132 180 from one another. The pairs of brackets under (l) and (8) are different in shape and are positioned on the rod 132 180 from one another. The pairs of brackets for the top and bottom rollers 128 and 130 are straight arms, the difference in shape being in length and these pairs are positioned on the rod 132 180 from one another.

A suitable speed for the preferred massager shown in FIGS. 12-14 is approximately the same as the other massager 20, namely: 7 r.p.m. When the preferred massager is rotated at a constant speed the rollers will alternately massage along the body with the rollers in each path massaging for substantially the same period since the paths 124 and 126 each progress about the rod 132 substantially The rollers of the preferred massager can also be constructed 0f hard dowel wood and a good massage eect can be obtained with a 1" polyurethane firm foam slab for the layer 96.

Another way to x the brackets is to make the rod 132 square and provide a substantially equal sized square hole in each bracket 134. The brackets would then be slipped on the rod with square tubular inserts therebetween for spacing after which the end brackets would be compressed toward each other and held by welding or screw nuts so as to make the assembly rigid.

In both embodiments less cushioning can be used if the rollers are made out of a soft material such as rubber. The covering 74 can be omitted altogether if the rollers are soft enough. In order to omit the cushioning, the

rollers should be made of a rubber less than 50 durometer on the A scale and should preferably be less than 35 durometer. In using rollers made of rubber of a softness between -35 durometer and springing the rollers as shown in FIG. 9 a very good massage effect can be obtained by rolling the rollers directly on the back without any covering 74.

Another example of a massager for local massage is a unit with only two paths like the one shown in FIGS. 12-14 but only 9 in length. With a short length such as this the rollers can all be at the same distance from the common axis. It has been found that rollers 3A in length, S/s" in diameter and spaced 3% from each other along the common axis with a cushioning material of 1A soft rubber (such as durometer on the A scale) between the massager and the persons body provide a good massage effect.

It must be understood that the examples given in the preceding paragraphs are merely specific embodiments of the invention for a particular application and that the invention can be practiced by many variations so long as the rollers are arranged in at least one path which dimensionally extends both progressively about and progressively along an axis.

In order to obtain a continuous massage upon a persons body with any embodiment the invention it is necessary for the angle between adjacent rollers in any path to be within a range between alignment of their roller axes and an angular spacing therebetween such that when one of the adjacent rollers which is first to roll has just completed its roll across the body the other adjacent roller next to follow is substantially beginning its roll across the body. In this way, at all times a roller is massaging on the persons body.

The number of rollers to be employed in each path is to be such that a person senses a traveling massage action on his body, which action may feel interrupted or continuous in its travel depending upon the closeness of the spacing between rollers as measured along the longitudinal axis of the rod 132. For most instances a minimum of three rollers in a 180 path is necessary to achieve a traveling sensation, however, the number will depend upon the length of each roller and the length of the body portion to be massaged. It is considered essential, however, that in order for any massager to produce a traveling massage action, regardless of the number of degrees that the path of rollers takes about a common axis or the number of rollers that the massager has, that the centers of at least two of the rollers thereon be angularly displaced from one another about the common axis as seen when the centers of the two rollers are projected in a like manner to a plane normal to the common axis.

In the operation of either massager a person sits in the chair with his back adjacent one of the massagers and the motor is turned on. The rollers in each path will then roll across the back to give a traveling massage action up and down along the persons back. For the massager shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 there will be two massage actions, each of which simultaneously and alternately travels up and down along the persons back. If the massager shown in FIG. 4 were rotated 180 from the position shown therein it would be massaging at the phantom line positions of the cover-ing 74. IFor the preferred massager shown in FIGS. 12-14 there will be a single massage action alternately traveling up and down the persons back with the massage pressure substantially constant therealong because of the conforming distances of the rollers from the rod 132 to the curvature of the back when the person is sitting in the chair. In both embodiments the action is gentle since each roller massages by rolling across the body to gradually apply pressure to the body and then gradually release pressure therefrom. It is to be noted that this action is also gentle to the covering 74 and will permit an indefinite life 8 of the heating elements 102 therein. The person can easily vary the massaging pressure on his back by reclining in the chair to various positions.

n The term roller as used throughout the specification and claims is to be taken in its broad sense as any rollable body. For instance, the rollers rather than being cylindrical could be spherical balls rotatably mounted about the rivets 36 or 136 or the rivets could be omitted by mounting the balls for rolling action in a socket joint within the drum 26 like ball bearings are mounted on an inner race only. Further, the rollers themselves could have projections or webs which extend along the roller or spiral therearound so as to give various effects on the body.

The massagers can be mounted in any type of furniture such as a couch, all types of chairs or even a portable unit. In order to provide a slim portable massage unit, a massager having a single path of rollers could be used with the path progressing about the rod 132 only 90. A reversible motor controlled by a limit switch would then be used to oscillate the massager back and forth through a range with the rollers rolling across the back so that the action would be similar to that delivered by the massager shown in FIGS. l2-l4.

In order to equalize the massage pressure of each individual roller as it rolls across the body the rolling surface thereof can be shaped to conform to the curve of the portion of the body over which it rolls or the axis of the roller can be aligned substantially parallel to the body surface over which it is to roll rather than parallel to the rod 132. A further modication would be to position the axis of each of the rollers in a slightly misaligned relationship with respect to the rod 132 with each roller axis lying in a respective plane which is parallel to the rod 132 so that when the rod is rotated with the rollers in direct contact with the body they will stretch the persons skin in the direction in which the rollers are moving. In the last modification the rollers preferably are made of sponge rubber with a smooth outer finish.

Because of the many possible modifications of the massagers there is provided a means for replacing various massagers within the back portion 22 of the chair so as to aiord various types of massaging actions. Referring to FIG. ll it will be seen that the massagers can be interchanged by removing the cap 57, unloosening setscrews 54, raising the upper shaft 44, lifting the present massager out of position and then inserting another mas- Sager by reversing the procedure.

It is now readily apparent that the present invention provides a new theory in the massaging art, namely: a. plurality of rollers positioned in a path which dimensionally extends both progressively about and progressively along a common axis so that when the rollers are rotated about the common axis adjacent a persons body they will deliver a crosswise and a traveling massage action there- Obviously many modifications are possible in light of the above teachings and therefore it is to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

ll. A massager for massaging a persons body comprising:

at least three rollers;

means mounting each roller for rolling action about a respective roller axis which passes through the roller;

means positioning the mounting means so that the rollers are positioned along a path which dimensionally extends both progressively about and progressively along a common axis with that portion of each roller axis which passes through a respective roller being spaced from said common axis;

and the positioning means further positioning the mounting means so that at least said three rollers g, are posit-ioned with their centers angularly displaced from one another about said common axis as seen when said centers are projected in a like manner to a plane normal to the common axis; l

whereby upon rotating the rollers as positioned about the common axis with the massager located so that the rollers will roll across the persons body, they will roll about the roller axes across the body to massage both thereacross and progressively therealong.

2. A massager for massaging a persons body cornprising:

atleast three rollers;

means mounting each roller for rolling action about a respective roller axis which passes through the roller;

means positioning the mounting means so that said three rollers are positioned .in a path which dimensionally extends both progressively about a common axis less than 180 `and progressively along the common axis with that portion of each roller axis which passes through a respective roller being spaced from said common axis;

lwhereby upon rotating the rollers as positioned about the common axis with the massager located so that the rollers will roll across the persons body, they will roll about the roller axes across the body to massage both thereacross and progressively therealong.

3. A massager as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

that portion of each roller that rolls across the body is constructed `of a soft material.

4. A massager for massaging a persons body comprising:

means positioned along only two paths for applying pressure to the body;

each path substantially starting at a common iirst point and substantially ending at a common second point;

ysaid irst and second points being spaced from one another as measured along an axis; Y

one of the paths progressively extending dimensionally from the iirst point less than 360 about the axis in `one direction and the other path progressively extending dimensionally from the iirst point less than 360 about the axis in an opposite direction;-

whereby upon unidirectionally rotating the pressure means about the axis across the body the pressure means will alternatelyrnassage in one direction along the body and then massage in an opposite directionV therealong. v Y

5. A massage for massaging a persons body cornprising:

a plurality of rollers;

means mounting each roller for rolling action about a respective roller axis which passes through the roller;

each roller having a center substantially on a respective roller axis;

mean-s positioning the mounting means so that the rollers are positioned: with their axes substantially 'tjr parallel to a common axis, with their centers progressively angularly displaced from one another as measured about the common xaxis and with said centers also progressively spaced from one another as measured along the common axis so that upon rotation of the rollers as positioned about the common axis across the body that will roll about the roller axes across the body to massage both thereacross and progressively therealong;

the angular displacement between adjacent rollers -being within a range between alignment of their roller axes and an angular' spacing therebetween such that when one of the adjacent rollers which is first to roll has just completed its roll across the body the other adjacent roller next to follow is substantially beginning its roll lacross the body;

whereby upon rotating the rollers as positioned about l0 the common axis across the persons body there will be a substantially continuous massage action thereon. 6. A massager for massaging a persons body comprising:

a -iirst roller having a center;

means positioning the iirst roller with its center spaced from a common axis;

a second roller having a center;

means positioning the second roller with its center spaced from the common axis and further positioning the .second roller with its center spaced from the center of the lirst roller as measured along the axis;

a lirst set of rollers wherein each roller has a center;

means positioning-the rollers in the rst set between said first and second rollers with their centers in a spaced relationship with respect to one .another :along a first path which dimensionally extends both progressively along and progressively about the common axis, with said path substantially beginning at the center of the iirst roller and substantially ending yat the center of the second roller;

a second set of rollers wherein each roller has a center;

and means positioning the centers `of the rollers in the second set between said iirst and `second rollers with their centers in a spaced relationship with respect to one another along a -second path which dimensionally extends both progressively about the common axis in a direction oppositeto said iirst path and progressively along the common axis in the s-ame direction as the lirst path, with said second path substantially beginning at the center of the first roller land -substantially ending at the center of the second roller;

whereby upon rotating the rollers as positioned about the common axis with the massager-*located so that the rollers will roll across the persons body, they will roll about the roller axes across thebody to massage both thereacross and progressively there- Ialong.

7. A massager for massaging :a persons body comprising:

a plurality of rollers;

means mounting each roller for rolling action about a respective roller axis which passes through the roller;

each roller having a center substantially on a respective r-oller axis;

said rollers having their centers arranged along each of a plurality of paths;

at least three rollers being so arranged in each path;

' means positioning the mounting means so that at least said three rollers in each are positioned with their centers spaced from a common axis, with their centers spaced with respect to one another as measured progressively along the common axis, with their centers angularly spaced with respect to one another -as measured about the common axis when said -centers are seen projected in a like manner onto a plane normal to said common axis and further with their roller axes substantially parallel to the common taxis;

whereby upon rot-ating the rollers as positioned about the common axis with the massager located so that the rollers will roll across the persons body, they will roll about the roller axes across the body to massage lboth thereacross and progressively therealong.

8. A massager as -claimed in claim 7 wherein:

each roller has a rolling surface;

and said means further positions the outermost extremities of the rolling surfaces wit-h respect to the common axis at varying distances from the common axis so that when the rollers are rotated about the common axis adjacent a curved port-ion of the persons body a substantially constant massage pressure will be delivered to said body portion by each roller.

9. A massager as claimed in claim 7 including:

la cushioning material;

4and means -supporting the cushioning material between the rollers and the persons body so that when the persons -body is in juxtaposition to the cushioning material said material has the effect of blending the massaging action of the rollers `on the persons body.

10. A massager as claimed in claim 7 including:

means `biasing the rollers toward the body when said rollers roll across the body.

11. A massager as claimed in claim 7 wherein:

the number of paths of rollers is limited to two;

and as seen from one end of the common axis, one of the paths, as it progresses away from said end, it angularly progresses in a clockwise direction about the common axis;

and as seen from said end, the other path, as it progresses away from the end, it angularly progresses in a counterclockwise direction about the common axis;

whereby upon rotating the rollers about the common axis the rollers in one path will massage along the body in one direction .and the rollers in the other path will massage along the body in an opposite direction.

12. A massager as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the paths substantially begin at a common rst point and substantially end at a common second point;

whereby upon rotating the rollers about the common axis across the persons body they will alternately massage in opposite directions therealong.

13. A massager as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

the rst and second points are angularly positioned substantially 180 from one another as measured about the common axis;

whereby upon unidirectionally rotating the rollers at a substantially constant speed about the common axis across the persons body each path of rollers will massage for substantially the same period along the persons body.

14. A massager for massaging a persons body comprising:

means for supporting at least a portion of the persons body;

at least three rollers;

means mounting each roller for rolling action about a respective roller axis which passes through the roller;

means positioning the mounting means so that the rollers are positioned along a path which dimensionally extends both progressively about and progressively along a common axis with that portion of each roller axis which passes through a respective roller being spaced from said common axis;

the positioning means further positioning the mounting means so that at least said three rollers are positioned with their centers angularly displaced from one another about said common .axis as seen when said centers are projected in a like manner to a plane normal to the common axis;

means attached to the support means and rotatably mounting the rollers about the common axis so that upon rotating the rollers about the common axis they will each progressively roll about their individual roller axis across the body portion when the body portion is supported by said support means; and

means for rotating the rollers as positioned about the common axis;

whereby upon rotating the rollers about the axis they will roll about the roller axes across the body to massage both thereacross and progressively therealong.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said positioning means includes:

a plurality of pairs of brackets with the brackets in each pair of brackets facing one another and positioning there between the roller mounting means of a respective pair of rollers.

'16. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said positioning means further includes:

said pairs of brackets being rigidly ixed to a rod which extends along said common axis.

17. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

at least some of the brackets are generally triangular in shape.

18. A device as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

at least two pairs of brackets are substantially identical in shape and are positioned substantially from one another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/69 Taylor 12S-57 2/89 James 128-62 X FOREIGN PATENTS 900,604 12/53 Germany. 

14. A MASSAGER FOR MASSAGING A PERSON''S BODY COMPRISING: MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE PERSON''S BODY; AT LEAST THREE ROLLERS; MEANS MOUNTING EACH ROLLER FOR ROLLING ACTION ABOUT A RESPECTIVE ROLLER AXIS WHICH PASSES THROUGH THE ROLLER; MEANS POSITIONING THE MOUNTING MEANS SO THAT THE ROLLERS ARE POSITIONED ALONG A PATH WHICH DIMENSIONALLY EXTENDS BOTH PROGRESSIVELY ABOUT AND PROGRESSIVELY ALONG A COMMON AXIS WITH THAT PORTION OF EACH ROLLER AXIS WHICH PASSES THROUGH A RESPECTIVE ROLLER BEING SPACED FROM SAID COMMON AXIS; THE POSITIONING MEANS FURTHER POSITIONING THE MOUNTING MEANS SO THAT AT LEAST SAID THREE ROLLERS ARE POSITIONED WITH THEIR CENTERS ANGULARLY DISPLACED FROM ONE ANOTHER ABOUT SAID COMMON AXIS AT SEEN WHEN SAID CENTERS ARE PROJECTED IN A LIKE MANNER TO A PLANE NORMAL TO THE COMMON AXIS; MEANS ATTACHED TO THE SUPPORT MEANS AND ROTATABLY MOUNTING THE ROLLERS ABOUT THE COMMON AXIS SO THAT UPON ROTATAING THE ROLLERS ABOUT THE COMMON AXIS THEY 